It was a long day in court for the Istanbul 10 on October 25, but one that ended with joy.

Nejat Tastan and Peter Steudtner embrace among a crowd of media and supporters, following their release. Photo shared by Fotis Flippou on Twitter.

Ten human rights defenders — including Amnesty International Turkey director Idil Eser — appeared in court on accusations of membership in a terrorist organization, after spending nearly four months in jail. The proceedings began at 10 a.m. local time, and ended around midnight with the release of all 10 defendants, pending trial.

The defenders had been behind bars since July 5, 2017, when they had gathered for an information management and wellbeing workshop on one of Istanbul’s islands, Buyukada. Police raided the workshop, detained the participants, and confiscated their electronic equipment.